Optical signal acquisition and processing methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be useful in medical as well as industrial applications. OCT, for example, can employ near infrared light to penetrate a range of subsurfaces of a target material. The scattered infrared light reflected from the target material can be used to generate micrometer resolution of three or two-dimensional images that are descriptive of the subsurfaces of the target material. In medical applications, these images can assist a physician to diagnose abnormalities in biological tissue. In industrial applications, images generated from materials that can absorb and reflect light signals such as near infrared light can provide engineers or other specialists insight into the subsurfaces of non-biological materials.